Students celebrate beauty of the earth

Third grade teacher Dawn Marcine and her fellow teachers have
been highlighting the importance of preserving the earth's
resources for the last five years.

Each year, for the past five years, third graders have learned
about the importance of recycling, not to litter, how the earth
supports life and the roles that plants and animal play in the
circle of life.

Marcine said on Friday that she learned about the importance of
Earth Day when she was an elementary school student in Readington
Township in Hunterdon County.

She said she has carried the lessons with her, as she became a
teacher.

Marcine said the other third grade teachers were very receptive
to her proposal to teach a unit on Earth Day and as it was
previously known as Arbor Day.

In addition to learning about Earth Day, the students also plant
a tree. This year they planted a Bradford Pear donated by Granata's
Nurseries in Long Valley. The students voted to dedicate the tree
to school Principal Robert Brennan.

The lesson unit culminated on Friday with a third grade assembly
where students presented what they learned to their fellow
classmates.

Poster Creation

Gail Coupian's class made a presentation on Earth Day pictures
they created while Alexis Dubrosky's class created an alphabet book
with each letter representing an animal, tree or plant.

Marcine's class read Earth Day poems then wrote and then acted
out poems that Marcine had written.

Danielle Prystash's students presented illustrated quotes about
Earth Day and Dianna Thompson's class gave presentations about
endangered animals.

"We try to make them aware of the things they can do to help the
earth," Marcine said.

In addition to the lesson unit, Marcine and her fellow teachers
get seedlings from the New Jersey Forest Service and give them to
the third graders so they can plant the trees at home with their
families.

Friends Dede Murray and Taylor Horsfield said it's important to
keep communities clean. The two participate in local road cleanups,
picking up litter and trash that's been discarded along
roadsides.

"It's important to protect the earth because if we don't we
wouldn't be able to live here," they said.

Lindsay Breen and Kaitlyn Paonessa created poster of a seascape
scene made with items found at Breen's home such as shells,
branches and rocks. The two visit the shore together during the
summer and they said it's important to keep the beaches
clean.

"It's especially important to keep the beaches clean of plastic
beverage rings which birds can get caught in," Paonessa
said.

"It's important to protect the beach because trash can hut the
birds," Breen said. "Also trash can pollute the water and then you
can't swim."

Marcine said the students have been receptive to the message she
and the other third grade teachers presented. Children said they go
home and share what they learned with their parents and older
brothers and sisters.

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In recent weeks, Long Hill Township and Watchung Borough passed ordinances allowing their police departments to be able to apply for surplus equipment from the Department of Defense. Long Hill recently procured a Humvee to use in times of flooding, which Watchung states as the reason they are getting into the program. However, in cities around the country, police forces have used the program to obtain military gear, such as weapons and armor.
For more background, go to the link below
http://www.newjerseyhills.com/echoes-sentinel/news/watchung-police-department-hopes-to-receive-equipment-from-department-of/article_12ad002a-92b3-5449-a2cc-4b2cf0ce4339.html